Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards
Alvina Anderson, Anthony Anderson‘s wife of 22 years, has filed for divorce, marking a second attempt to legally separate from the black-ish star.
According to court documents obtained by People, Alvina cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split, the date of which she listed as “TBD,” and is seeking spousal support as well as paid legal fees by Anthony.
She rescinded her initial 2015 filing and is said to have worked on fixing the relationship. She now asks that property acquired during the marriage be treated as “community” property but “All gifts and inheritance, all assets, earnings, accumulations, and debts acquired by [Alvina] prior to the date of marriage and after the date of separation” be treated as separate property, according to People.
Alvina and Anthony tied the knot in September 1999 and share children Nathan, 22, and Kyra, 26.
Chad Smith is one proud papa today: His daughter earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on Sunday night’s American Idol.
Under the name Ava Maybee, the 20-year-old daughter of the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer sang Stevie Wonder‘s classic “Lately,” and impressed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Richie compared Ava’s alto voice to that of Cher, and Perry said it was a “cool sound.” Bryan said he felt that Ava was an “artist,” adding, “I’m interested to hear and see more of what you’ve got goin’ on.”
Richie then said he was going to “go against” the singer’s family, joking, “You’re not going to be a ‘maybe,’ you’re going to be a ‘for sure.'” Perry and Bryan dubbed her “Ava Yes,” and told her she was going to Hollywood. Perry also complimented Ava’s outfit, which mixed florals with leopard print.
Ava’s birth name is Ava Maybee Cardoso Smith.
American Idol‘s Hollywood Week starts tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
The Chili Peppers will release their new album, Unlimited Love, on April 1.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden appeared to want to both ways when he fielded a barrage of questions Monday asking him to clarify his remarks that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
He stood by his words “expressing moral outrage” but also clarified that the U.S. is not supporting regime change in Russia.
In a rare move for the White House, Biden — who made the apparently unscripted comment in Poland on Saturday — took questions from reporters Monday afternoon at an event unveiling his latest budget proposal, which includes $6.9 billion to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression.
The first question to Biden was: “Do you believe what you said, that Putin can’t remain in power, or do you now regret saying that? Because your government has been trying to walk that back, did your words complicate matters?”
Pres. Biden says he was not “articulating a policy change” when he said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
“Number one, I’m not walking anything back. The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing and the acts of this man just — brutality, half the children in Ukraine. I had just come from being with those families, and so — but I want to make it clear, I wasn’t then nor am I now articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it,” Biden said.
Biden went on to say that he does not think the comment complicates the diplomacy of this moment.
“The fact is that we’re in a situation where it complicates the situation at the moment is the escalatory efforts of Putin to continue to engage in carnage. The kind of behavior that makes the whole world say, ‘My God, what is this man doing?’ That’s what complicates things a great deal and — but I don’t think it complicates it all,” Biden added.
“I was expressing my outrage. He shouldn’t remain in power. Just like, you know, bad people shouldn’t continue to do bad things. But it doesn’t mean we have a fundamental policy to do anything to take Putin down in any way,” Biden said.
Pressed by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce if he’s confident Putin doesn’t see his words as escalatory, Biden said, “I don’t care what he thinks.”
“Given his behavior, people should understand that he is going to do what he thinks he should do, period. He’s not affected by anybody else including, unfortunately, his own advisers. This is a guy who goes to the beat of his own drummer. And the idea that he is going to do something outrageous because I called him for what he was and what he’s doing, I think is just not rational,” Biden said.
He told Bruce that another meeting with Putin, “depends on what he wants to talk about.”
Asked why he made the comment closing out his four-day alliance-building trip that was not in his prepared remarks, Biden said he was “talking directly to the Russian people.”
Pressed further, Biden repeated he was “expressing the moral outrage I felt toward this man” and “wasn’t articulating a policy change.”
“The last part of the speech was talking to the Russian people, telling them what we thought. I was communicating this to not only the Russian people but the whole world. This is — this is just stating a simple fact that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. And the way to deal with it is to strengthen and put — keep NATO completely united and help Ukraine where we can.”
Biden told reporters Sunday evening he was not calling for Putin’s removal from office, after the White House and some Democrats scrambled to explain the president was not endorsing regime change in Russia as a policy goal.
“The president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” a White House official said after the speech.
“I think the president, the White House made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. “As you’ve heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it’s up to the people of the country in question. It’s up to the Russian people.”
Putin’s allies, meanwhile, have appeared to take the comment as escalatory rhetoric, and the fallout could undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war.
“That’s not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians,” said Kremlin spokesperson Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Biden also called Putin a “butcher” over the weekend, prompting some world leaders to distance themselves from the rhetoric, with France’s Emmanuel Macron saying, “I wouldn’t use this type of wording.”
The dustup comes as recent polls have shown growing frustration with Biden’s handling of Ukraine, even while most Americans favor specific steps the president has taken. According to recent ABC News/Ipsos data, 70% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of gas prices, for instance, though even more respondents — 77% — support his proposal to ban Russian oil, even if it means paying more at the pump.
Biden has stepped up his rhetoric in recent weeks as the fighting in Ukraine has worsened. At least twice in the last month, he has called the Russian president a “war criminal,” adding he thinks Putin “will meet the legal definition.” The State Department announced last week Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine but did not specially name Putin.
The house where Trisha Yearwood films Trisha’s Southern Kitchen is sentimental for many reasons, one of which is that it’s where she used to cook for husband Garth Brooks, before they were married.
While giving a tour of the set, Trisha reveals that she actually owned the house in Nashville before it was used for her show on the Food Network, and says that the coolest person she’s ever cooked for in the home was none other than the country legend. In fact, it was in that kitchen where she first started to fall in love with her future husband.
“I actually cooked for Garth in this kitchen long before there was a TV show,” she explains, recalling how she made a fettuccine Alfredo dish so rich that he “almost fell asleep in the plate.”
“But I think that was the beginning of me knowing that ‘I’m going to marry this guy,'” she reveals.
Other secrets Trisha gives away includes that one of her favorite items in the kitchen is the Gwendolyn cake platters, designed from sketches created by her late mother, Gwen, who was also a baker and master cake decorator.
Among the items you’ll always find in the fridge are milk, eggs and coffee creamer. Items you’ll never see? Sardines or wasabi.
Nick Carter took a detour from his pop roots to stroll through the world of country music in his new song “Easy” that features Jimmie Allen.
Speaking to Peopleabout his new collab, the Backstreet Boy said he wanted to do a country crossover because that kind of music has always been in his “blood.”
“I listened to all sorts of music growing up. When I first started in Florida doing singing competitions, there were a lot of country songs that I not only listened to but also performed,” he explained. “I’ve grown up with country music —it has always been in my blood, but I just love music in general.”
Nick added, “Even the Backstreet Boys, we did a lot of crossover songs that kind of had that country feel. We did a song called ‘Drowning,’ which had a bit of a country feel.” He also referenced BSB’s “God, Your Mama and Me” collaboration with Florida Georgia Line.
Nick said he was heartened when he saw “there was a lot of love and connection from that community.”
As for why Nick wanted to pursue a solo country song, he admitted “Easy” has been brewing in the back of his mind for some time — and he felt Jimmie was the perfect person to bring it across the finish line.
“I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this song ‘Easy” and so we FaceTimed with Jimmie and he was like, ‘Dude, I’m a huge fan of you!’ and I said ‘So am I,'” he recalled. “So, we basically shared the love for one another and the rest was history!”
Nick teased what’s next for him, which he said is a forthcoming solo album that is packed with “a lot of great material that I am looking forward to.”
After four years away from the road, The Gaslight Anthem is back.
The New Jersey band will launch a headline tour on September 13 in Portland, Oregon. Right now, shows are scheduled through a October 5 concert in Washington, D.C., with more dates to be announced. Ticket details and dates are available at TheGaslightAnthem.com.
The tour news comes nearly seven years after Gaslight went on an indefinite hiatus in 2015, a year after the release of their most recent album, 2014’s Get Hurt. The group briefly reunited in 2018 for a run of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of their beloved 2008 album,The ’59 Sound.
As previously reported, frontman Brian Fallonannounced Friday that The Gaslight Anthem would be “returning to full time status as a band” and are “beginning to write new songs for what will be our sixth LP.” He added, “We’re very much looking forward to the future and seeing you all again. We want to thank you for staying with us.”
Fallon, whose fourth solo album, Night Divine, came out in November, also said that unfortunately, the band would not do a tour to mark the 10th anniversary of their 2012 album Handwritten.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Kim Kardashian has responded to the backlash she received after telling women to hustle harder.
Kardashian told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in a new interview that the comments she made in a Variety profile earlier this month were “taken out of context.”
In the profile, Kardashian, who turned her reality TV fame into a business empire, said, “I have the best advice for women in business. Get your f***ing a** up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”
The comments sparked criticism, with some online commenters calling out the privilege they say may have helped the SKIMS founder’s success.
Kardashian’s quote was even the center of a joke made at Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony, with co-host Regina Hall repeating it to Best Supporting Actress nominee Dame Judi Dench.
“This is a quote from Kim Kardashian: ‘Work harder.’ That’s what we need you to do,” Hall jokingly said to Dench.
In an interview over the weekend ahead of the premiere of her family’s new Hulu show, The Kardashians, Kim said of her quote, “It wasn’t a blanket statement towards women or to feel like I don’t respect the work or think that they don’t work hard. I know that they do. It was taken out of context, but I’m really sorry if it was received that way.”
Kardashian explained that she had previously been asked in the Variety interview about being “famous for being famous,” which she said caused her to answer so forcefully.
“That statement that I said was without questions and conversation around it, and it became a soundbite really with no context,” said Kardashian.
She added, “That soundbite came off of the notion and the question right before, which was, ‘After 20 years of being in the business, you’re famous for being famous,’ and my whole tone and attitude changed with the previous question that went into that question about what advice would you give to women.”
Kardashian’s new interview with Roberts will premiere as part of an ABC News primetime special on April 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will air the next day on Hulu. The special includes new interviews with Kim, Khloe and KourtneyKardashian and their “momager,” Kris Jenner.
Cardi B’s 2018 debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, has yet again garnered more accolades.
The album’s success started with the Recording Industry Association of America 10-times Platinum-certified hit “Bodak Yellow.” Now it’s reached the history-making feat of every song certified at least Platinum by the RIAA. That makes the Grammy-winning rapper the first female artist to achieve the milestone, after smashing her initial record as the first female artist to have every track on an album RIAA-certified Gold.
The honors certainly don’t stop there. Since her rise as one of the greatest rap musicians of today, Cardi has consistently dropped chart-topping records, including 2020’s seven-times Platinum anthem “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, which debuted at number one on Billboard‘s Hot 100. Invasion of Privacy also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
The “Be Careful” rapper has also collaborated on chart-topping singles like the RIAA Diamond-certified song “I Like It,” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, the Gold-certified “Rumors,” with Lizzo, and Normani‘s “Wild Side,” which is also RIAA-certified Gold.
“I’m young and I’m paid! My hubby paid, my kids are healthy and beautiful, my family is lit wit no worries, my friends are loyal. Im living my life to the fullest!!” Cardi recently said on Twitter.
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to the ratings for Sunday night’s Oscars telecast.
First, the good: the telecast saw a 56% jump in viewership from last year, according to Nielsen numbers quoted by Variety. Some 15.36 million people watched the show, which was hosted by Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall.
That said, that audience is the second-least-watched and second-lowest-rated Academy Awards in history, the trade explains. That’s the bad news.
By comparison, the 2019 broadcast, the Oscars’ first host-free event, drew 29.6 million viewers.
1998’s Academy Awards telecast, which saw Titanic win Best Picture, was the highest rated in history: It drew 55.3 million viewers.
(BLOOMINGTON, Minn.) — Americans returning from trips overseas are often greeted by border officers with a “welcome home.” But Abdirahman Aden Kariye, a Muslim American imam living in Bloomington, Minnesota, says there have been no such greetings for him.
Kariye, a son of refugees who came to the U.S. from Somalia, told ABC News that his airport experiences are defined by a deep sense of anxiety. He claims he is often “singled out” and taken into private rooms for hours-long interrogations by U.S. border officers.
“I’ve been stopped many times, almost 90 percent of the time,” Kariye said, recounting his experience traveling domestically and internationally.
But over the past few years, he alleges these additional screenings upon his return from international trips were coupled with a barrage of questions scrutinizing his religious beliefs and practices.
“Those experiences made me feel that I had to make myself less visible as a Muslim,” Kariye said, claiming that the questioning brought on so much anxiety that while traveling he stopped praying at the airport, stopped carrying religious texts written in Arabic and even stopped wearing his kufi, a brimless cap that some Muslim men wear around the world.
“I feel like I don’t have the freedom to be a Muslim in America,” he added.
Some of the questions asked by U.S. border officers, according to Kariye, included what type of Muslim he is, whether he’s Sunni or Shia, how many times a day he prays, what mosque he attends, his views on a particular Muslim scholar, whether he listens to music, whether he studies Islam and where he studied Islam.
“When you ask these types of questions about my personal beliefs … you’re telling me that you have a suspicion about Muslims, that they are, you know, inherently a threat to national security,” Kariye said.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday on behalf of Kariye and two other Muslim Americans who allegedly experienced similar religious questioning at the border.
The lawsuit was filed against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. border officials in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of Kariye, Mohamad Mouslli and Hameem Shah, who allege that they were subjected on multiple occasions to detailed questions about their religion by border officers.
Shah is a U.S. citizen who lives in Plano, Texas and works in financial services, while Mouslli works in commercial real estate and lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife and three children, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit contends that the questions violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights by violating their First Amendment right to freedom of religion, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a law passed by Congress in 1993.
“Because this questioning imposes substantial pressure on the plaintiffs to hide their religious expression when they’re traveling – to alter it at the airport, and because it serves no legitimate law enforcement purpose, it violates the [RFRA], and it also violates the Constitution,” Ashley Gorski, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s National Security Project, told ABC News.
ABC News reached out to DHS and CBP but requests for comment were not returned.
Kariye said that he was questioned about his religious beliefs and practices during at least five separate incidents at various airports upon returning to the U.S. from trips and vacations overseas between Sept. 12, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2022.
“By asking intrusive questions about Islamic religious beliefs, practices, and associations, the U.S. government is conveying disapproval of Islam,” Gorski said. “It is conveying a stigmatizing message; it’s saying that it views adherence to these religious beliefs and practices as inherently suspicious.”
According to the lawsuit, Kariye has been experiencing “travel issues consistent with placement on a U.S. government watchlist” since 2013.
When traveling for vacation or to visit family overseas, Kariye said that he frequently can’t print his boarding pass at the self-service kiosk until an airline employee makes a call to obtain clearance from a supervisor or government agency – a process that has taken up to two hours, the lawsuit alleges. And upon receiving his boarding pass, the travel document is marked “SSSS,” which stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection.”
Kariye said that he doesn’t know why he might have been placed on this list.
Gorski said that Mouslli, one of the two other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, has also had similar travel issues and while “the government doesn’t confirm or deny someone’s placement on a watch list,” both men had “a series of repeated experiences that are consistent with placement on the watch list.”
Kariye said that some of those experiences in a post-9/11 America have made him feel that, as a Muslim, he is seen as “less American.” He said that he hopes by speaking out he can empower others who have had similar experiences.
“The important thing is that we want to change the condition of our Muslim community here in America. We are American, we are here to live here and be part of this American experience,” Kariye said.
“For me, I see this as part of my service as an imam – to be a voice for those who don’t have one and advocate for justice.”
ABC News’ Luke Barr and Quinn Owen contributed to this report.
